Rebecca Tannant and Caleb Mahurangi William Barnett's fashion label, Depth of Scye, began as imaginative musings in their high school graphics class.
After she finished high school, Tannant studied fashion design at New Zealand Fashion Tech, where she was awarded the Apparel magazine Overall Excellence award, before working for a small New Zealand designer and opening her own label. Meanwhile, Barnett studied graphic design, making his way into fashion through painting vintage leather jackets, which opened opportunities for contract work with other fashion brands.
For Tannant and Barnett, their vision of opening a fashion label transitioned from imaginative musings and into reality because of their shared sense of uncertainty in their individual careers in fashion.
"We felt we owed it to ourselves to try and make that dream come true, or at very least try to."
Strikingly, the designers each have distinctly different personal styles, with Barnett's love for dark graphics and Tannant's romantic aesthetic.
They also have different sources of inspiration. Barnett finds inspiration in art, anime, horror movies and religious iconography, as well as designers like Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. On the other hand, Tannant is heavily influenced by Victorian era fashion, film costume and textiles.
However, the duo found that these two visions were complimentary and could be integrated to create a bold and unique aesthetic. Depth of Scye's garments reflect the synthesis of the designers' contrasting styles, utilising unique and avant-garde designs to challenge the boundaries of luxury fashion.
"There is a constant juxtaposition of contrasting themes at play - soft and harsh, light and dark, luxury and grunge, resulting in something we hope is at least refreshing."
They put heavy emphasis on using high-quality fabrics like silk over more affordable options, as well intricate detailing, with the duo often spending hours to meticulously apply hand-stitching or painting on their garments.
Working as a team allows Tannant and Barnett to bounce ideas off each other and offer different perspectives in the design process. All of their garments are constructed and designed by the duo, ensuring a significant level of care and personal touch.
The designers also stray away from following the traditional seasonal collection timeline and instead release small drops. Their most recent drop was nicknamed "Red" due to its striking red hues and dramatic silhouettes, as well as the use of silks, leather and detailing, showcasing their modern day interpretation of "Interview With a Vampire."
"With every drop, the intention is to make the wearer feel their most powerful, badass and authentic self. We want people to feel strong and look phenomenal in our clothing."
Each drop is a source of immense pride for Tannant and Barnett. Other highlights of their careers thus far include launching their website, having their clothing stocked in Wellington's Bizarre Bazaar, seeing Benee wear one of their garments in a music video and making a jacket for NBA All Star Russell Westbrook.
Their biggest advice for any budding designers looking to open their own fashion label is to remain realistic about your expectations.
"This industry can be an unforgiving one and requires an exceptional amount of time and money to be able to operate effectively, especially as a small brand. If you're like us and don't come into the game with financial backing, this often means working day jobs to support yourself while you work long hours on the side," explained the designers.
"There's a lot of sacrifices to be made so make sure you have a genuine love for the craft."
Tannant and Barnett's short term goals are to leave their day jobs and focus on building Depth of Scye full-time. In the long term, they hope to expand their stockists domestically and internationally, as well as opening their own flagship store or studio so that customers can see where their pieces are being handcrafted.
